The interview below with Katsuyuki Kondo Sensei has been selected from the extensive archives of the Online Aikido Journal. We believe that an informed readership with knowledge of the history, techniques and philosophy of aikido is essential to the growth of the art and its adherence to the principles espoused by Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba.

Sokaku Sensei traveled all over, from Hokkaido in the north all the way to Okinawa in the south. It is also remarkable that he taught not only in police departments of one particular region, but throughout the entire country. I believe that if his technique was fake or ineffective, he would have been considered useless because police departments could easily exchange such information. The case would have been the same with the military . He also taught at many military establishments. It is sometimes said that Sokaku Sensei’s relationship with the military was limited and only through the Omoto religion and the connection with Morihei Ueshiba Sensei. In fact, however, Sokaku Takeda Sensei had direct connections to the military. This is clear from the enrollment books he kept.

“The Budokwai was founded in 1918 in Lower Grosvenor Place, along the back wall of Buckingham Palace, by Gunji Koizumi, a Japanese immigrant, who thought the promotion of ju-jitsu and ken-jutsu (sword fighting) might help his adopted country, then immersed in the First World War. Koizumi subsequently wrote:” I hoped that rendering my service in promoting such training would be a means of pacifying my conscience, which was pricked by the fact that we Japanese, especially students, had been recipients of the kindness and hospitality generously bestowed by the people of this country, without making any tangible return.”

We have just repackaged and rereleased one of the most important DVDs ever published on aikido that every enthusiastic of the art simply must own. This incredible program, titled Aikido Classics, Vol.:1: Postwar Greats, contains rare video footage of aikido’s most notable figures: Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba, Second Doshu Kisshomaru Ueshiba (son and successor of the Founder), Gozo Shioda (Founder of Yoshinkan Aikido), Koichi Tohei (former Chief Instructor of the Aikikai Hombu Dojo who later established the Ki Society), and Morihiro Saito, one of aikido’s preeminent technicians and author of many important books on the art.

Here is a link to a video clip featuring highlights from this exceptional DVD.

Below is a detailed look at the amazing contents of this one-of-a-kind DVD:

The article below on the early days of aikido and its founder Morihei Ueshiba has been selected from the extensive archives of the Online Aikido Journal. We believe that an informed readership with knowledge of the history, techniques and philosophy of aikido is essential to the growth of the art and its adherence to the principles espoused by Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba.

During that period O-Sensei was greatly influenced by Deguchi in religious matters and integrated this perspective into his martial art-oriented mind. Nevertheless, this is not to say that Ueshiba embraced the Omoto doctrine wholeheartedly, but rather that the thoughts expressed by Deguchi stimulated a religious sentiment in Ueshiba.

The Aikido Journal archives now include more than 800 articles in twenty different languages and numerous video clips. We are constantly adding new articles and translations in our effort to document aikido and related disciplines past and present. If you would like to support us in this effort by taking out a subscription to the Online Aikido Journal we welcome you to do so by clicking this link. Remember that if you subscribe or renew for two years you will now receive the Aiki News / Aikido Journal Archival DVD absolutely free of charge. Don’t pass up this special offer!

Click here to read entire article.

“Sword and Brush” became a reality when standing face-to-face with an original Ueshiba calligraphy scroll. Kneeling in seiza made the experience even better! This had to be the highlight of this year’s John Stevens workshop. Professor Stevens brought this scroll so we could experience the spirit of O Sensei during our training. “AiKi O Kami” (Great Spirit of AiKi) was brushed so radiant and distinct that even when viewing from across the room it was crystal clear. For me there was a sense of extreme reverence in the brushwork of “O Kami.” (I even looked for the stains of tear drops!) (There weren’t any.)

The article below concerning famous swordsman Toru Shirai has been selected from the extensive archives of the Online Aikido Journal. We believe that an informed readership with knowledge of the history, techniques and philosophy of aikido is essential to the growth of the art and its adherence to the principles espoused by Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba.

Returning home, he grasped his bokuto in the way he had seen the ascetic wield his bell-striker and discovered that he had attained a exceptional new level of ability. This revelation, along with his use of projection through the tip of the bokuto (nobi) and the relaxation of the limbs and body, became the three principles that Shirai Sensei attained during his life as a swordsman—secrets so deep that even the ancient masters had not known of them. This episode has been often quoted in stories and tales of famous swordsmen and will likely be familiar to anyone with even a little knowledge of Shirai. It suggests that Shirai visited Terada seeking advice about how to continue training in his teacher’s absence, was told to visit Tokuhon, and while observing nembutsu devotions was Tokuhon’s deeply enlightened.

I am learning a great deal about Aikido from a number of different sources. I am saving up to be a part of this tradition on love and movement in early 2009. So in the meantime I am working my way to losing some weight, becoming more flexible, and settling into the right mindset before I even step into a Dojo and learn the right way to respect it.

I feel that there is a 99% true love for this lifestyle and a 1% rogue mentality. But I have to know that the rogue is there. This way I can prepare myself to listen to my instructors and trust them 100%. I know to give 100% to whom I am lending my body in order for them to improve. It causes me to have the urgency to learn properly how to fall and protect myself without resistance. But at the same time to immediately recognize the rogue and remove myself from that Dojo.

Lorenzo Trainelli has kindly sent us this Italian translation of an article written by Stanley Pranin, editor of Aikido Journal in November 1985

Article: Gradi Dan
Language: Italian, translated by Lorenzo Trainelli
Original English article: Dan Rankings

There are few areas which elicit as much emotion and comment as the topic of the recognition of the ability and service of practitioners through the awarding of ranks. In Aikido as in every martial discipline, there are individuals who are clearly competent and those whose backgrounds and lineage cannot withstand even cursory scrutiny

The interview below with Hiroshi Isoyama Sensei has been selected from the extensive archives of the Online Aikido Journal. We believe that an informed readership with knowledge of the history, techniques and philosophy of aikido is essential to the growth of the art and its adherence to the principles espoused by Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba.

There were no tatami mats in that dojo, so the training could be quite painful. That was one reason it was difficult to get people to come train. After a number of years they finally did put tatami in the dojo, but we had been doing it on the wooden floor for so long that at first we had trouble adjusting. If you happened to smack your head on the wooden floor it would make a big noise, but the pain never seemed to penetrate your whole head. After we put the tatami in, though, the pain would hit you right to the core. Naturally, the way we took ukemi changed when we moved from the wooden floor to the tatami mats.

The Aikido Journal archives now include more than 800 articles in twenty different languages and numerous video clips. We are constantly adding new articles and translations in our effort to document aikido and related disciplines past and present. If you would like to support us in this effort by taking out a subscription to the Online Aikido Journal we welcome you to do so by clicking this link. Remember that if you subscribe or renew for two years you will now receive the Aiki News / Aikido Journal Archival DVD absolutely free of charge. Don’t pass up this special offer!

Click here to read entire article.

Special Training Session in Katsuura City, Japan

Each year the director of the Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu Headquarters, Kondo Katsuyuki, holds a special training session as described below.

Place: Nippon Budokan Training Center
Address: 582 Sawakura, Katsuura City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan.
Phone: (0470) 73-2111

Dates: August 10th - 15th of 2009

Click here for full details.

A recent radio interview that I was invited to do reminded me of a great story about Japan’s most famous baseball player and the lessons he learned from Aikido founder, Morihei Ueshiba.

Right at the end of the segment, one of the guys asked Kel, “Yeah, but does aikido help you throw a baseball better?” This was a gentle jibe at Kel for his performance throwing out the first pitch last season at a local college game. I perked up because it reminded me of a great story about Japan’s most famous baseball player training with the founder of aikido, Morihei Ueshiba.

Click here to read full article

The article below with Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba’s adopted son, Kiyoshi Nakakura (aka Morihiro Ueshiba) has been selected from the extensive archives of the Online Aikido Journal. We believe that an informed readership with knowledge of the history, techniques and philosophy of aikido is essential to the growth of the art and its adherence to the principles espoused by Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba.

The art [of Ueshiba Sensei] was called “Daito-ryu” because of the connection with Sokaku Takeda. Then a few years later it was changed to Aikido. It seems that while I was there, various names were used for the art. For example, “Aioi-ryu” or “Aiki Budo” and so on. I think that the name “Aikido” was used quite a bit later. The dojo was built before I enrolled but its name was changed to the Kobukan while I was there, probably around 1932 or 1933. The land used to be part of a mansion called the “Tsugaru” which was owned by a lord of Aomori Prefecture. The Ueshibas used to rent a section of about 100 tsubo (one tsubo = 3.954 sq. yds.). I think it was around the time I was leaving the dojo that they were asked to buy the land and they did.

The Aikido Journal archives now include more than 800 articles in twenty different languages and numerous video clips. We are constantly adding new articles and translations in our effort to document aikido and related disciplines past and present. If you would like to support us in this effort by taking out a subscription to the Online Aikido Journal we welcome you to do so by clicking this link. Remember that if you subscribe or renew for two years you will now receive the Aiki News / Aikido Journal Archival DVD absolutely free of charge. Don’t pass up this special offer!

Click here to read entire article.